登陆注册
5228800000108

第108章 VI(9)

The famous Thomas Bartholinus wrote a treatise on the virtues of this fabulous-sounding remedy, which was published in 1641, and republished in 1678.

The "antimonial cup," a drinking vessel made of that metal, which, like our quassia-wood cups, might be filled and emptied in saecula saeculorum without exhausting its virtues, is mentioned by Matthew Cradock, in a letter to the elder Winthrop, but in a doubtful way, as it was thought, he says, to have shortened the days of Sir Nathaniel Riche; and Winthrop himself, as I think, refers to its use, calling it simply "the cup." An antimonial cup is included in the inventory of Samuel Seabury, who died 1680, and is valued at five shillings.°

There is a treatise entitled "The Universall Remedy, or the Vertues of the Antimoniall Cup, By John Evans, Minister and Preacher of God's Word, London, 1634," in our own Society's library.

One other special remedy deserves notice, because of native growth.

I do not know when Culver's root, Leptandra Virginica of our National Pharmacopoeia, became noted, but Cotton Mather, writing in 1716 to John Winthrop of New London, speaks of it as famous for the cure of consumptions, and wishes to get some of it, through his mediation, for Katharine, his eldest daughter. He gets it, and gives it to the "poor damsel," who is languishing, as he says, and who dies the next month,--all the sooner, I have little doubt, for this uncertain and violent drug, with which the meddlesome pedant tormented her in that spirit of well-meant but restless quackery, which could touch nothing without making mischief, not even a quotation, and yet proved at length the means of bringing a great blessing to our community, as we shall see by and by; so does Providence use our very vanities and infirmities for its wise purposes.

Externally, I find the practitioners on whom I have chiefly relied used the plasters of Paracelsus, of melilot, diachylon, and probably diaphoenicon, all well known to the old pharmacopoeias, and some of them to the modern ones,--to say nothing of "my yellow salve," of Governor John, the second, for the composition of which we must apply to his respected descendant.

The authors I find quoted are Barbette's Surgery, Camerarius on Gout, and Wecherus, of all whom notices may be found in the pages of Haller and Vanderlinden; also, Reed's Surgery, and Nicholas Culpeper's Practice of Physic and Anatomy, the last as belonging to Samuel Seabury, chirurgeon, before mentioned. Nicholas Culpeper was a shrewd charlatan, and as impudent a varlet as ever prescribed for a colic; but knew very well what he was about, and badgers the College with great vigor. A copy of Spigelius's famous Anatomy, in the Boston Athenaeum, has the names of Increase and Samuel Mather written in it, and was doubtless early overhauled by the youthful Cotton, who refers to the great anatomist's singular death, among his curious stories in the "Magnalia," and quotes him among nearly a hundred authors whom he cites in his manuscript "The Angel of Bethesda." Dr.

John Clark's "books and instruments, with several chirurgery materials in the closet," a were valued in his inventory at sixty pounds; Dr. Matthew Fuller, who died in 1678, left a library valued at ten pounds; and a surgeon's chest and drugs valued at sixteen pounds.'

Here we leave the first century and all attempts at any further detailed accounts of medicine and its practitioners. It is necessary to show in a brief glance what had been going on in Europe during the latter part of that century, the first quarter of which had been made illustrious in the history of medical science by the discovery of the circulation.

Charles Barbeyrac, a Protestant in his religion, was a practitioner and teacher of medicine at Montpellier. His creed was in the way of his obtaining office; but the young men followed his instructions with enthusiasm. Religious and scientific freedom breed in and in, until it becomes hard to tell the family of one from that of the other. Barbeyrac threw overboard the old complex medical farragos of the pharmacopoeias, as his church had disburdened itself of the popish ceremonies.

Among the students who followed his instructions were two Englishmen: one of them, John Locke, afterwards author of an "Essay on the Human Understanding," three years younger than his teacher; the other, Thomas Sydenham, five years older. Both returned to England. Locke, whose medical knowledge is borne witness to by Sydenham, had the good fortune to form a correct opinion on a disease from which the Earl of Shaftesbury was suffering, which led to an operation that saved his life. Less felicitous was his experience with a certain ancilla culinaria virgo,--which I am afraid would in those days have been translated kitchen-wench, instead of lady of the culinary department,--who turned him off after she had got tired of him, and called in another practitioner. [Locke and Sydenham, p. 124. By John Brown, M. D. Edinburgh, 1866.] This helped, perhaps, to spoil a promising doctor, and make an immortal metaphysician. At any rate, Locke laid down the professional wig and cane, and took to other studies.

The name of Thomas Sydenham is as distinguished in the history of medicine as that of John Locke in philosophy. As Barbeyrac was found in opposition to the established religion, as Locke took the rational side against orthodox Bishop Stillingfleet, so Sydenham went with Parliament against Charles, and was never admitted a Fellow by the College of Physicians, which, after he was dead, placed his bust in their hall by the side of that of Harvey.

同类推荐
  • 送吴彦融赴举

    送吴彦融赴举

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 三法度论

    三法度论

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • Studies of Lowell

    Studies of Lowell

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 题曾氏园林

    题曾氏园林

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • Concerning Christian Liberty

    Concerning Christian Liberty

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • 苕溪渔隐词话

    苕溪渔隐词话

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 金陵琐事

    金陵琐事

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 风雨狂吼

    风雨狂吼

    雨,紧一阵慢一阵下了半个多月。四面八方的雨水涌进淮河里,王家坝水位早已超过警戒线,防汛形势严峻。淮河两岸军民日夜在堤上巡逻,备足沙石器材,加固险堤险坝,以应付可能到来的、更大的洪水。S省广播电台记者蔚思萍和军民一道,日夜战斗在淮河大堤上。她自己也记不清采访了多少人,发了多少个连线。衣服湿了干,干了湿,鞋里灌满了水,走起路来呱叽呱叽直响。两眼长时间被雨水和汗水浸泡,布满了血丝,酸溜溜地胀痛。被雨水打湿的头发,一缕一缕的,像小辫一样。蔚思萍倚仗自己健康的身体和对记者工作的敬业,顽强支撑着。天放亮时,雨终于停了。
  • 误惹不良拽殿下

    误惹不良拽殿下

    落也音不小心把姜邵炫踹入河里,她误以为他是“女生”,吃了豆腐就跑路了。被弟弟逼迫巧退花痴女,半路却被他吻了,这家伙还拽拽的说她是刺猬。她意外看了他的身体,他竟然说“你把人家的身子看光了,说什么也要对人家负责。”黑灯瞎火的她都没有看清楚,绝对不能负责。--情节虚构,请勿模仿
  • 王妃最大

    王妃最大

    上一世,她是心狠手辣的杀手。再睁眼,她是唐家备受欺辱的庶女。嫡母怨恨,外人嫉妒,她见招拆招,坏人名声,逐人出府。爹爹哥哥集体坠崖,家中成年男丁集体被暗杀,族长上门逼迫,她以一己之力护住唐家满门,带血的剑尖挑断了某人的手脚筋:“想要这唐家万贯家财,好,用你的命来换。”皇商连华飞之妹连半夏,堪比男儿,朕心甚慰,特赐予安王正妃之位,下月十九大婚。谁料太后突然薨逝,国丧三年,某王爷心中郁闷,拐个妻子也这么难。王爷很烦恼,情敌怎么那么多。那一天,她一人屠了十万大军,满身鲜血,回到皇城,她被人以妖孽之名关入满是经幡的笼中,受尽折磨。那一天,他长剑直指自己的父亲,逼父退位。手刃八十一名得道高僧,受万民唾弃。金瞳白发,满身是伤,她倒在他怀中:“花问青……他们说我是祸国妖孽。”擦拭着她脸上干涸的血污,他哽咽:“夏夏,你是我最爱的娘子,仅此而已。”
  • 杰克,只是开膛手?(3)

    杰克,只是开膛手?(3)

    他有些迷惘。生命的气息让他感到别扭,几乎就要窒息。这股气息是血红色的,带着心脏的跳动,震动着脉搏,让他很不适应。四周的窗帘全拉上了。他端坐在沙发上,壁炉里燃烧着熊熊烈火,电视里正在播放国际新闻。在他看来,今天8月7日的新闻,似乎和以前的无数个8月7日没有多少不同。国际新闻之后,主持人报道了一条本地新闻:一名女子在公寓被杀,凶手在作案时模仿了“开膛手杰克”。
  • 送赵舒处士归庐山

    送赵舒处士归庐山

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 征途之九界至尊

    征途之九界至尊

    他,资质不佳,但勤奋无比;他,家族中唯一拥有根骨,能修炼神功之人;他,五次试炼尽皆通过,得宝物无数;他,兄弟众多,个个肝胆相照;他,率领百万修士,征服九界山;他,脚踏蛟龙撵,率领亿万五行堂修士冲出黑暗之地;他,在众多修真星球,举步维艰;他,神功初成,一统恒沙一般修真星球;他,率领众多高手,费劲千辛万苦进入仙界;他,神功大成,率领数之不尽的门徒高手争夺仙界之权;他,一统九大仙界,成就无上霸业,成就九界至尊;他,孤单一身,最终破空而去。
  • 浙江有意思

    浙江有意思

    《浙江有意思》是作者王寒多年来生活所感杂记,主要包括作者对浙江省十一地市风土人情独到的见解,文风戏谑,多以当地名胜古迹、美食趣事为题材,以片段的形式对每一城市进行描述,令读者得以快速阅读中体味到浙江各地的城市形象。
  • 绝色医妃:妖孽王爷宠妻无度

    绝色医妃:妖孽王爷宠妻无度

    她,是从现代莫名穿越的杀手兼神偷;他,是霸道短命的天才王爷。一朝穿越成废材,被诬陷又被退婚。你们当她是以前的叶冰灵吗?不,她修炼逆天,空间在手,能和植物交流,奇珍异宝投怀,丹药阵法随手炼。她与他携手闯天下,却渐渐揭开穿越之谜……【情节虚构,请勿模仿】